Leather-boarding machine



' Oct. 5 {1926.

' D. E. HARDING LEATHER BOARDING MACHINE Filed Ndv. 12, 1923 11106 i02 m 6. I

Mf'iifi.

Patented (let. 5, I926.

DANA E. HARDING,

0F ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO HARDINGENGI- NEERING COMPANY, OF EAST BOSTON, MASfiAcl-IiUSTiTfi A CORPORATION OF.

.MASSACHUSETTS.

nnarnnnroanmne MACHINE. j f

Application filed November 12, 1923. Serial No. 674,229.

My present invention is an improved and novel machine for operating upon hides,

skins, leather and the like, and by a novel process. In my prior Patent, l, l66,283, dated Aug. 28, 1923, I have described and claimed one method of boarding leather which simulates the hand method now used. In my present invention I have devised a distinctly automatic and continuously op erating method of boarding leather which also simulates the hand action in progressively forming a fold in the grain side 0 the leather and forcing it under pressure throughout the hide, but I accomplish this result by the action of a pair of oppositely movlng, yielding snrfaces--such as belts. Furthermore in my present invention I am enabled to treat an entire hide, skin or piece of leather substantially continuously and has a progressively folding action entire length of the leather. In all prior boarding machines of which I am aware, in cluding that of my own prior patent, it was necessary to treat one 'half of the leather at a time and this was slow and tedious and objectionable and necessitated the operator putting in one half the leather and perform ing the boardino operation, then talring it out and putting in the remaining half of the leather and completing the boarding of same. 'The important feature of my invention consists in the fact that I rely mainly and, in fact, entirely upon the forming of the progressive fold in the leather by the conveying means, thus performing simultaneously and automatically the feeding of the leather into and out of the machine and the foldingor boarding action. This boarding on the grain side of the'leather serves to .form a finish or series of WI'HllZlGS. My

7 machine .is intended to perform this boardthrough the a sufficient spacing free to prevent actual contact. Preferably this spacing is of less extent than the minimum thickness of hides to be operated on, and preferably. also, I provide adjusting means to increase or diminish this spacing between the opposite surfaces of the conveying and boarding belt.

By arranging a suitable worktable to be adjusted towardand from the narrow spacing between the belts above described, the operator will position a hide upon the worktable, move it into belt-engaging contact while supported by the worktable, which belt thereupon catches. the hide and will, move it forwardly toward the narrow span ing where the oppositely travelling surfaces of the belt will catch the same, form the fold and feed the belt upwardly. This narrow spacing between the two belts being of less thickness than that of the hide, and the hide being doubled at this point, will necessarily result in imparting very considerable pressure at the folded portion :of the leather as the leather is progressively fed into, around the fold, and out of the machine, thus forcing this folded pressure progressively through out the hide.

My process, whereby the entire hide is caused to be fed and the boarding operation performed progressively, continuously, and uniformly without dragging or forcing the hide over. the edge of a breaking board or the like, produces a most desirable effect on the leather and enables same to be fed through the machine at high speed and with a single handling operation and results in a very satisfactory boarding action. In my present mvention whereby a single belt is used, the feeding in and out of the machine,

and consequently the maintaining of the folded edge under: vpressure, is insured because the belt mustgo at the same speed of travel. If separate feeding in and feeding out belts were employed, it would be eX-.;

tremely difficult to run them at perfectly uniform speed and consequently the fold on the leather would be destroyed or-disappear entirely, therefore this single belt feature performs an important function.

Referring to the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention,

-Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in cross section, of'my present machine;

Fig. 2 is a front view;

tats

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional detail illustrating the folding action of the oppositely moving belt surfaces, and

Fig. 4: shows a modification of the adjusting devices for determining the spacing of the oppositely moving surfaces of the belt.

My present machine is designed to be of suitable width to receive an entire hide, either lengthwise or crosswise, and therefore should have a dimension of from six to seven feet in width. Mounted upon a suitable support or worktable 1 are journal bearings of any usual or suitable shape such, for ex; ample, as indicated at 2, 8, l, and 5, Fig. 2, to carry pulleys or rolls positioned in staggered relation, see Fig. 1, and designated generally as at 8, 9, 10, and 11. The rollers 8, 9, 10 are positively driven by suitable geared wheel connections 12 and 18 through fast and loose pulleys 15 and 16 by any suitable source of power. The roller 11 is an idler and belt tightener mounted upon sliding journal bearings 18 in guideways 20 and actuated to be moved into belt tightening or belt releasing position by a setscre-w 21. Led around these pulleys is an endless,

continuous belt 25 so roved as to have its line of travel as shown by the arrows A and B, Fig. 1. Bearing on the belt at opposite sides are a pair of adjustable guide rollers 26 and 27. Either or both of these guide rolls may be adjustable, as herein shown, the roller 27 being fixed with its bearings mounted to slide at the bottom of a guide 28. The upper roll 26 is adjustable toward and from the other in the same guide bearings 28 through the manipulation of a setscrew 30. These rolls are arranged in position to bear on the inner surfaces of the belt 25 where the said belt travels around the intermediate roll 10 and between the outer rolls 8 and 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

A suitable worktable 33 is arranged in front of the machine, being supported on brackets 34 secured to the frame 1, this worktable being secured by thrusting and tightening screws 35 and 36' and mounted for rocking action upon a roller or bearing 37 so as to adjust the inner edge 40 of the worktable into desired position with regard to the belt 25 in its line of travel, as indicated at A and 13, around the tightening rolls 26 and 27. This may also be adjustable toward and from the same by a pair of wheels 41 threaded through lugs 42 depending from the forward end of the table 83 and threaded into suitable tapped recesses in a bearing block 43. Thus the worktable 33 may be tilted, inclined, and moved forwardly and outwardly, as desired, to cooperate with the oppositely moving surfaces of the belt 25 where it is led over the rolls 26 and 27. The belt 25 is preferably of considerable thickness and of rubber, rubber composition, or the like yielding material. I find it desirable to have this belt'of rubber for several reasons: because rubber will act quickly and automatically to take hold of the grain surface of a leather hide when the latter is brought into contact therewith and will thus facilitate the feeding in of the hide or skin 50 as the operator places the same on the table 33 and pushes it toward the belt 25. The upper part of the belt travelling inwardly, when once securing contact or taking hold of the hide 50, will movethe same inwardly over the edge, and preferably bevelled, as indicated at 40, of the worlrtable 33 and thus facilitate the manual pushing of the operator on the body of the hide to feed same into the throat afforded by the line of travel of the belt 25 converging toward the edge 40 of the worlrtable. It will be appreciated that hides and skins are of uneven contour and the small projections at neck and shoulder, etc, are the first portions which are or can be engaged by the belt and drawn into the machine. It is important, therefore, that the belt 25 and worlrtable be so positioned, adjusted, and arranged as to produce an effective grabbing or hide pulling action on the small projections neck, shoulders, etc, on which it must act. With the hide started in through the action of the belt 25, it is moved forwardly beyond the edge 4-0 until. the same, which would drop down beyond said edge, is caught by the oppositely moving surfaces of the belt 25 as it is led from the lower guide wheel 27. Since both surfaces of the belt are moving at e2:- actly the same rate of speed, because the belt is a single, continuous, and endless conveyor, the leather is thus fed into the form of a fold substantially as indicated at 51, Fig. 3. I prefer to have the surfaces of the belt sufficiently close together so that the leather, which will be less compressible than a rubher belt, will actually be embedded into the surface of the rubber belt as the hide 50 is fed into and around the folded edge 51 out of the machine on top of the surface of the lower belt portion 25 as it comes upwardly. Thus I secure a constantly uniform boarding or folding action upon the edge of the hide 51 operating to feed, form, and compress this fold progressively throughout the entire length of the hide or skin. This action gives an even, complete, and very speedy boarding effect, wrinkling or graining the leather in perfect uniformity. Pres sure at any time can be adjusted by manipulation of the screw controlling the pressure of the top roll 26 and by adjusting the screw 21 on the tension roll 18, as desired, during the continuous operation of the machine without stopping same.

It may be desirable to provide further adjustments in the gripping or fold producing action of the belt and for this purpose I have shown in Fig. 4 a plurality of adjusting rolls arranged in appropriate position so that the oppositely travelling surfaces of the belt 25 between the rolls 8, 10, and 9 may be further controlled in their angle, line of travel and consequently in the fold producing action upon the hide. For this purpose I simply arrange a plurality of adjustable rolls 52 and 53 corresponding to the rolls 26 and 27 and with a similar provision for adjustment together with another set of adjusting rolls 5& and 55, these being respectively controlled by adjusting screws 56 and 57, as shown in diagrammatic form in Fig. 4. Thus I may seecure a plurality of adjustments and control the angle as well as the position of the folding tension and. fold producing portions on the hide 50, as desired, and during the continuous operation of the-machine.

My invention is further defined in the form of claims as follows:

1. A leather boarding machine having a single work feeding means formed of yield ing material having compressible portions and adapted to feed automatically work through the machine, said work in the path of its travel being conformed into a relatively sharp fold between the compressible portions of said work feeding means.

2.-A leather boarding machine, comprising a work support to receive the work. a continuously moving belt of compressible material, means to conform portions of said belt into opposite directions of travel, means to adjust said oppositely travelling portions toward and from each other, and means for driving said belt.

3. A leather boarding machine comprising a work support to receive the work, a continuously moving belt of compressible material, means to conform portions of said belt into opposite directions of travel closely adjacent to each other, and means for varying the line of travel of the oppositely moving portions of said belt.

4. A leather boarding machine comprising a work support to receive the work, a continuously moving belt of compressible material, means to conform portions of said belt into opposite directions of travel. closely adjacent to each other, and a plurality of means for varying the line of travel of the oppositely moving portions of said belt.

5. A leather boarding machine, comprising a shaft, a pair of shafts arrangedparallel to each other and to said first named shaft and arranged one above the other and in front of the first named shaft, another shaft arranged parallel to all of said shafts and lying between the first said shaft and the said pair of shafts, means for rotating said shafts simultaneously, rollers secured to each of said shafts, an endless feeding belt running over said rollers, a pair of.

idler rollers engaging with said feeding belt and lying between said last named shaft and said pair of shafts, the endless feeding belt defining, in conjunction with said pair of rollers and said pair of idler rollers, a substantially V-shaped throat in cross section, and means for rotating said shafts whereby the sides of the V-shaped throat run in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

DANA E. HARDING. 

